I haven't tested the 24-105mm f/2.8, though I did speak with Canon at a workshop recently. They said when they loan gear out at large sporting events, the 24-105mm and 100-300mm was one of the most requested combos to borrow. I have the 70-200 Z lens, which has similar AF, and it works wonderfully with the R3.
I currently use the R6ii on the 24-105 2.8. Combo works great for basketball, I love the versatility the lens gives me. Personally, if I were to re-evaluate my decisions, I would choose the 70-200 2.8 Z instead of the 24-105 2.8, just because I love tighter shots of the action and players. I would say that 105 can be a bit loose, but that is just personal perference. Here is a recent shot at 24mm, I was a bit rusty coming off a years break of no basketball, so I missed some shots that I shouldn't have. Combo is amazing for everything else, but I would recommend overall reccomend getting a 70-200 and 24-70 combo for basketball. In terms of focus of the 24-105, this lens is razor sharp, fast focusing, and holds focus pretty well.
I've been using the 24-105/f4 lens on the R3 bodies for Big 12 hoops, and haven't noticed any issues at all. I would expect the f2.8 version would be the same. Problem for me is that lens is just so short that I'm almost always at the 105 end of the lens.
I just checked my images from last night's game and I had just under 15% of the images from the 24-105. However, that game was a nail-biter with a last-second shot attempt and post-game jube I would not normally shoot had the game been a blowout or a normal win. At last week's game, I only had four percent of my images made with the 24-105.
Yeah, for the most part, I find that 105 is too short for my needs. It's nice to have that wider shots at 24, but overall I'll trail towards the 70-200 Z since they're basically the same price. If I've shot mainly basketball/sports in general I would switch to the 70-200, but I do other work that involves me using something wider, so this lens is just a compromise .
Ralph Thompson wrote:
Anyone using this combo for basketball? Does this lens focus fast enough in low light gyms?
The short answer for me is yes. Scott (above) addresses some valid points about focal lengths. The reason I use it for high school basketball is because most high schools gyms I shoot at have about 4-5 feet of room from the baseline. In order to capture the wide wingspan of the male players going to the basket I need something wider than 70mm. When I cover DIII college I do not have that problem and the 70mm is fine. (I keep my 70-200 Z in the backpack when the high school cheerleaders encroach on my baseline space and I have to move to the corner.)
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